Transfer of a physically impaired or disabled individual from one location to another can be a formidable task, especially when only one other person is available to assist in such transfer. This latter situation, of course, is often the case when the physically impaired individual is at home or in other non-institutional environments.
Typical transfers which must be carried out every day with regard to physically impaired individuals include, for example, transfers to and from a bed and transfers to and from a wheel chair.
Hoists of various types have been devised to maneuver patients from one location to another. However, such devices are characterized by their relative complexity and high expense. Investment in and use of hoist arrangements is not normally justified unless an individual is severely physically impaired to the point of being virtually immobile and incapable of standing.